Mail-box for rural districts.



A. F. KRIEGER.

MAIL BOX FOR RURAL DISTRICTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25, I915. 1 ,2985225. Patented Mar. 25,1919.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

- 7 25 ii i IJ T I j jhl A. F. KRIEGER.

MA IL BOX FOR RURAL DISTRICTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. I915.

1,298,225. Patented Mar. 25,1919. v 2 $HEETS--SHEET 2 .1: 3 7 Liza ALEXANDER F. KRIEGER, OF ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN.

MAIL-BOX FOR RURAL DISTRICTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed September 25, 1915. Serial N 0. 52,686.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER F. Kinn- GER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Joseph, county of Berrien,

and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Mall- Boxes for Rural Districts, of which the foland economical construction, and one which will be eflicient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

l/Vith these objects in view, the invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a front elevation of a mail box embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, portions being broken away to expose underlying parts,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the construction shown in F ig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a crank shaft embodied in the construction, and

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line m-rc of Fig. 3.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a post 1 upon the upper end of which is mounted a mail receptacle 2 which is fastened to said post by bolts 3. The receptacle 2 is provided with an upwardly swinging cover 4, the rearward edge thereof being hinged at 5 to the upper edge of the rear wall of said receptacle.

Opening of cover 4 is effected by means of a vertically movable forked member 6, the upper bifurcated end of member 6 engaging with laterally projecting studs 7 provided at the sides of cover 4 adjacent the front edge thereof. The arrangement is such, as will be seen, that opening of the cover will be effected upon upward movement of the member 6.

The lower end of member 6 is operatively connected with the outer end of a rocker arm 8 secured at its opposite end to one extremityof a rocker shaft 9 mounted in suit able bearings 10 arranged upon the ground adjacent the post 1. In order to effect secure connection between the arm 8 and shaft 9, the latter is squared at the end thereof engaged by said arm, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 and said arm is formed with a slot of corresponding form which snugly receives said squared end of said shaft.

The portion of the shaft 9 between the bearing brackets is formed into a crank 11 with which engage the meeting ends of two oppositely projecting platforms 12, hooks 13 being provided at'said ends of said platforms for embracing said crank, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The arrangement is such that normally the crank 11 and hence the meeting endsof the platform members 12 are held in elevated position through the weight of the cover 4. The outer ends of platform members 2 rest upon the ground so that upon depression of the elevated ends of said platform members, the arm 8 will be rocked upwardly, effecting upward move ment of the connecting element 6 and hence opening movement of cover 4. The platform members 12 are so arranged as to permit of the ready passage thereover of the wheels of the mailmans vehicle so that, in the passing of the mailmans vehicle, the cover of the mail box will be automatically swung to open position to permit of the ready insertion or removal of mail. This arrangement, it is apparent, results in considerable saving of time for the mailman as well as considerable convenience.

Used in connection with the mechanism described is also an electrical alarm device 14 preferably in the form of an electrical bell, the circuit wires 15 of which are connected with contacts 16 mounted at the under side of a block 17 of insulating material arranged upon the under side of receptacle 2. Carried upon the upper side of the horizontal portion of member 6 is a wire or plate 18 of conducting material adapted, when the member 6 is moved upwardly in the cover opening operation, to engage with the contacts 16 in order to close the circuit of the alarm mechanism 14 and thus audibly announce the delivery of mail. The alarm device 14 may be arranged in the house or other suitable location where actuation of the same will be readily heard. In order to protect the contact members 16 and connecting element 18 against the weather, a housing 19 is provided which is also fastended to the under side of receptacle 2, said housing having slots 20 in its sides to accommodate the horizontal member of connecting element 6. r

In order to further serve to notify the owners of the mail box of the deposit of mail therein, a signal member 21 in the form of a flag is employed which is rockingly mounted at one end as at22 upon one side of receptacle 2. The member 21 adj acent its pivot is formed with an ear 23 which projects over the adjacent edge of cover 1 so that upon opening of the latter, the member 21 will be rocked upwardly to vertical position and thus visually indicate the fact that mail has been deposited in the receptacle 2. A stop 2% cooperates with the signal member 21 to limit opening movement of the same. lVhen the mail is removed from the receptacle 2, the member 21 is rocked downwardly to its horizontal or inoperative position, as shown in the drawings.

lVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into efiect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class d'escribed'comprising a receptacle; a movable cover on said receptacle; a rockingly mounted crank shaft; an operative connection between said shaft and said cover whereby the latter will be opened upon actuation of said shaft, said connection comprising an arm on said shaft;

a connecting element connected at its lower end with the outer end of said arm and having a bifurcated upper end connected with said cover at opposite sides thereof; a guide for the upper portion of said connecting element, said guide having vertically disposed spaced slotted portions loosely engaged by the branches of the upper end of said connecting element; depressible means arranged on the ground adjacent said receptacle and operatively connected with said crank shaft for actuating the latter; a normally open electric circuit having stationary spaced terminals at the under side of said receptacle; and means carried by said connecting element at the bifurcated upper end thereof adapted to engage with said terminals and close said circuit when said connecting element is movedto open said cover, substantially as described.

2. A device'of the class described comprising a receptacle; a movable cover on said ceptacle; a rockingly mounted crank shaft; an operative connection between said shaft and said cover, whereby the latter will be opened upon actuation of said shaft, said connection comprising an arm on said shaft; a connecting element connected at its lower end with the outer end of said arm and having a bifurcated upper end connected with said cover at opposite sides thereof; a housing at the under side of said receptacle serving as a guide for the upper end of said connecting member, said housing having an opening at its under side toreceive said guide member and having vertically disposed elongated slots in its sides loosely engaged by the branches of the upper end of said connectingelement; depressible means arranged on the ground adjacent said receptacle and operatively connected with said crank for actuating the latter; a normally open electric circuit having stationary spaced terminals arranged in said housing; and means carried by the portion of said connecting element within said housing adapted to engage with said terminals and close said circuit when said connecting element is moved to open said cover, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER F. KRIEGER.

"Witnesses JOHN A. CORRIGAN,

EMIL I-IUEBNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

